17:14 is completely wrong.
All FCPS schools now offer advanced math for kids in grade 3-6 who are ready. These kids can qualify to take algebra as early as 7th grade. Anyone can choose to take honors classes in middle school and high school in FCPS.

These things are not only available to AAP kids, they available to ALL kids.

PP regarding MS/HS --- I don't know if this is the case everywhere, but in our MS/HS, kids can just opt into the honors sections. There is no "selection" required. You just opt in if you want it.

And ALL schools are now offering accellerated math so that kids can be doing algebra in 7th or 8th grade. So, those issues alone would not necessitate placement in AAP.

Anonymous wrote:I think the drama exists because the district makes such a big deal about testing everyone for AAP not once, but twice. It puts the program on the radar for so many more people than if they just tested a smaller pool, and turns it into a status symbol for the parents.

In every other state we lived in, they only tested kids for GT if they scored very high on whatever standards test the school administered each year, the teacher recommended testing, or the parents asked for testing. At our other schools only a dozen or so kids/grade actually tested for GT, with not all of them making the cut.

The drama here seems to come from all the people on or outside the cut. That problem is taken care of before testing the way other states do it (those kids aren't even tested so there is no drama about them not getting in.)

I like that all the kids are screened here. In other places where only a select group is screened, kids who are quieter or have learning disabilities tend to be overlooked. When parents don't even know the tests are going on, they can't advocate for a child who is in need of services.

Here, every child is screened for the program, so the very bright child with learning disabilities is less likely to fall through the cracks.

Yes, I spelled accelerated and calculus wrong, sorry.

I can't speak for everyone, but I will tell you why it is a monstrously big deal for our family. While it doesn't matter as much in grade school if you are in a school where the teachers are good at instructional differentiation (and that's a big IF), it starts to matter a whole lot in middle school. And staying tracked in gifted in middle school is often dependent upon being identified in grade school. I'll divide my argument into two prongs: a. math, and b. humanities.

Preliminarily, it is way easier to get into the Hopkins CTY program and the UVA summer gifted programs if you are pre-identified by your schools, but that's just a side note. Nevertheless, a way to STAY advanced is to take those Hopkins math and science courses over the summer, which you have to test in for, but I digress.

Anyway, from my point of view, here is why it really matters in middle school: a. for math: unless your kid is identified as in the gifted/AAP or whatever trendy label, in middle school, then they will not get to take the advanced math classes. Beginning in 6th grade, our school had 2 math tracks, regular and advanced. In 7th grade there are 3 math tracks, regular, advanced, and excellerated. AND, if your kid does not take advanced or excellerated math, then they most likely will not get to be in the advanced math classes in 8th and 9th grade. Here is the key to my view: UNLESS you have those advanced classes by 9th grade, then there are not enough semesters left in high school to complete, satisfy pre-requisites, and finish the highest and next to highest calculs courses by the time the kid graduates 12th grade. At least that's how it was in my DD's high school And, to make things more mysterious for parents, the middle school teachers do not normally know this and give bad advice. For math, it is not ONLY about making sure the student will be challenged and do well. It is really about making sure that they start high school at an advanced enough level to achieve the highest levels of math courses. Lots of students do not care about this when they get to high school, but why close off those options in middle school when the student doesn't yet know what their real goals will be in high school math? Also, not blaming middle school teachers since there is no way they can be clued into this, especially when they have been teaching for only a couple of years; they have enough to worry about.

And, regarding b., the humanities: except in the instances where the student is going to a high school where they can override the recommendations of the pre-requisite classes by teachers (these schools are rare but do exist), UNLESS the student in in advanced language arts, they will have a very hard time getting into the honors english and language arts and history classes, but it is not as critical as the math situation because often there WILL be time to make up the semesters to get to the highest class that they might want. So, for humanities, there ARE enough semesters to catch up usually even if you don't start out in the advanced track, unlike for math.

Okay, this is not important for most students, but for certain students, this is all really important to them; but you won't know the extent of the importance until the individual gets to high school. That's why these parents fight to keep the kid's options open.

Actually, not all kids with high test scores breeze in. Some with the high test scores were coached / prepped to get it, so instead of 135 the IQ 115. And consistent with the IQ, the GBRS might show 9. So, the evaluators, not knowing who was coached, when there is a significant discrepancy between GBRS and tests, tend to favor the grbs, even though those are somewhat subjective.

I agree. The kids who get the high cogat and nnat scores breeze in, as they should. The angst on this board comes from those on the cusp.

Agree, but will mention that my DD gets far less homework at our Center than she got at the base school. And if your kid is freaky smart, you won't need to angst over it because she will breeze into the program without any parental involvement.

Well said, PP. At our school, and I think generally at FCPS, general ed gives kids a great education. AAP centers are intended to serve those children who need additional challenge and depth -- not every kid and not even every smart kid. FCPS offers Level III services for kids who are advanced in a particular area or two but who do not meet AAP eligibility. I'm not sure why parents freak out about it so much. What I really wish is that FCPS would change the AAP back to the GT program it used to be. It served a smaller percentage of the population (I think about 5%) and my guess is then not as many parents tried to push and wheedle their kid in. They understood that it was for a small segment of the population that truly needed it. IMO, gifted kids are special needs kids -- just on the other end of things.

Great answer PP.

OP, my kids are smart, but not truly gifted. I don't know if they will be in the pool or selected for AAP. I'm not under any illusions that our local school is stellar, but I'm not convinced that AAP classrooms are stellar either (have you seen the posts about a lot of ADHD kids in AAP? and the class sizes are just as big as regular). I do realize that AAP teacher go more in-depth and have the kids do more projects. But, on the whole, I believe my smart (not over-the-top) children can get a very good education at their base school. I would like to see them qualify for some of the more advanced math at their base school, but regardless, they will be well prepared for MS/HS, by staying at our local, non-AAP school.

I think there is some competitiveness at work here and of course everyone wants to receive the letter from the school that basically confirms your hopes that "your child is among the smartest kids in our entire school system." It IS flattering for the parent and the child to get an invite to AAP. So, it would be kind of cool to get that invitation.

On the other hand, getting the invitation can also mean a lot more hassles b/c your kids may be at different schools, different start times, more projects, etc. I really don't want any more homework than we have now... so beyond being flattered, it is kind of a negative to me on the whole.

Not everybody is insistent on getting their kids into AAP. Regular schools are COMPLETELY satisfactory, IMO. The people who are really into the AAP quest will be posting a lot on these threads, but there are far more people who don't care about it at all..... and BTW, I do know kids who where NOT selected for AAP, but later were admitted to TJHS... so, don't stress out about it.

If I really thought my kids were over-the-top, freaky smart, I'd probably press more to get them into AAP. But, since my kids are just normal smart, ehhh... they're FINE if they stay in their regular local school.

AAP will not make your kid smarter, nor will it help them get into TJ or into a better college. Just like getting into a better college will not ensure a better life.

Some kids really need the program because they are not being challenged in general ed. Other kids would do great in general ed, but their parents want them in AAP because they either want the bragging rights or they just want to make sure that other kids aren't getting something that their kid isn't.

Unfortunately, it's just the culture in this area. Everyone wants to make sure that their kids are better/more/faster than everyone elses. It's all pretty disgusting.

I think the drama exists because the district makes such a big deal about testing everyone for AAP not once, but twice. It puts the program on the radar for so many more people than if they just tested a smaller pool, and turns it into a status symbol for the parents.

In every other state we lived in, they only tested kids for GT if they scored very high on whatever standards test the school administered each year, the teacher recommended testing, or the parents asked for testing. At our other schools only a dozen or so kids/grade actually tested for GT, with not all of them making the cut.

The drama here seems to come from all the people on or outside the cut. That problem is taken care of before testing the way other states do it (those kids aren't even tested so there is no drama about them not getting in.)

Don't you hope your kid to be a smart one, and go to a better college?
Same thing.

Why such a big deal over the AAP? Serious question. I have never seen it discussed in other parts of the country like it is here. Should I desperately hope that my kids get in? Is it really an awesome program? Or is it that the rest of classes don't compare?